Southwestern Quinoa

I love quinoa! This is my Southwestern version!

Southwestern Quinoa

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water
3 scallions, diced

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups orange grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

1 avocado, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 can organic corn, drained and rinsed (optional)

(Dressing)

1/4 cup EVOO

1 T red wine vinegar

zest and juice of one lime
1 1/2 T pure maple syrup

1 t minced garlic

1/2 t Himalayan salt

1/4 t freshly cracked pepper
1/2 t cumin

1/2 t dried oregano or Italian seasoning

Bring the water and quinoa to a boil in a pot.  Turn heat down and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until quinoa is soft and all liquid is absorbed. In the meantime chop all veggies and add to large bowl. Mix dressing ingredients in Vitamix until blended well.  Add the dressing and quinoa to bowl and mix well. You can serve warm or cool in fridge and serve cold.

RAW Tacos

These are SO GOOD!!  I absolutely LOVE Mexican food and I have been wanting to experiment with making some raw tacos for quite some time. My sister was here from St. George last week. Since I knew she would appreciate eating raw food, it was just the motivation I needed to make these. There are many layers to the taco, but you can change it up however you would like. You can also make up everything ahead of time for convenience and then place in fridge. Enjoy!

RAW Tacos

(Taco Filling)

1 cup walnuts

1 t cumin

1/2 t chipotle chili powder

1/2 t dried oregano

1/2 T EVOO

1/2 T Bragg liquid aminos

1/4 t Himalayan salt

1/8 t garlic powder

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until desired consistency.

(Taco Elements)

greens for "shell" (butter lettuce, collards, cabbage, etc) 

baby carrots, chopped 

yellow bell pepper, chopped 

cilantro, chopped

avocado, sliced

Fresh Salsa

Cheezy Queso

Create the raw taco of your dreams by adding desired ingredients. The sky is the limit!

Asian Broccoli Quinoa

I adapted this recipe from greensmoothiegirl. It is amazingly delicious and leftovers are great! I love all the Asian flavors with the quinoa! 

Asian Broccoli Quinoa

1 T coconut oil

1 yellow onion, chopped in food processor

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped in food processor

2 cups water

2 t veggie broth powder

1 T pure maple syrup

1 T rice vinegar

juice and zest of 1 lemon
juice and zest of 1 orange

1/2 t Himalayan salt

1/4 t fresh cracked pepper

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped

4 cups broccoli, chopped

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 cup raw cashews

Heat oil in saucepan. Add onions and garlic and saute until translucent. Add peppers and saute a couple minutes. Add remaining ingredients except cashews and simmer covered approximately 20 minutes or until broccoli is tender. Toss cashews in right before serving! Enjoy!

Asian Mushroom Lettuce Wraps

My dad made me some delicious chicken mushroom lettuce wraps for my birthday. That was the inspiration for these yummy lettuce wraps. I made them for my husband and he gobbled them up!

Asian Mushroom Lettuce Wraps

butter lettuce leaves

cilantro, chopped

mango, peeled and diced

yellow bell pepper, chopped

(Filling)

1 T coconut oil

3 green onions, chopped

1/4 c water chestnuts, chopped

1/4 cup bean sprouts, chopped

8 oz shitake or baby bella mushrooms, chopped

1/4 cup raw cashews

1 T rice vinegar

2 t Bragg liquid aminos

pinch pepper

Heat oil in pan. Saute green onions for a couple minutes. Add remaining ingredients and saute until mushrooms are tender. Scoop filling into butter lettuce leaves and garnish with desired toppings.  

Mediterranean Quinoa

 

Quinoa is a complete protein that contains all nine essential amino acids. It is a gluten free grain-like seed full of fiber, protein, and many other helpful minerals. Plus, you can cook it relatively fast which is always nice. I have been making a lot of quinoa lately for those reasons! This dish is full of Mediterranean flavors and is delicious warm or cold. Enjoy!

Mediterranean Quinoa

2 cups water

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 cucumber, peeled seeded and chopped

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup artichoke hearts, chopped

1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped

(Dressing)

1/3 cup EVOO

2 T balsamic vinegar

zest and juice of one lemon
1/2 T pure maple syrup

1 garlic clove

1/2 t Himalayan salt

1/4 t freshly cracked pepper

1 t Tuscan seasoning (or Italian seasoning)

Bring the water and quinoa to a boil in a pot.  Turn heat down and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until quinoa is soft and all liquid is absorbed. In the meantime chop all veggies and add to large bowl. Mix dressing ingredients in Vitamix until blended well.  Add the dressing and quinoa to bowl and mix well. You can serve warm or cool in fridge and serve cold.

Hummus Lettuce Wraps

 

Hummus Lettuce Wraps
Romaine lettuce
hummus
cucumbers, chopped
grape tomatoes, halved
olives, chopped (black or kalamata)
carrots, chopped
avocado, chopped
broccoli, chopped
sprouts
Wash and dry lettuce and cut off end.  Spread hummus on lettuce leaves and top with desired veggies.

Broccoli Cauliflower Quiche

 We do not eat eggs much, but occasionally I will buy some organic, free-range eggs and make a special dinner. This was one of those nights and my children and husband all loved this quiche. Another fun thing...this is made with a potato crust so it is gluten free! 

Broccoli Cauliflower Quiche

(Crust)

3 cups hash browns (make your own or use frozen)

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 egg

1/2 t salt

pinch pepper

(Filling)

2 cups broccoli, finely chopped

2 cups cauliflower, finely chopped

12 eggs

2 T rice milk

1/4 t garlic salt

1/4 t onion powder

1 t Italian seasoning

1/2 t nutmeg

1/4  c Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray olive oil in a large casserole dish. Combine all ingredients for crust and press into bottom of dish. Bake until browned, approximately 40 minutes. 

When crust is done, fill with broccoli and cauliflower.  Mix eggs, rice milk and seasonings in separate bowl and pour over veggies.  Top with Parmesan cheese if desired and bake until center is set, approximately 50 minutes. 

Veggie Spring Rolls with Coconut Peanut Dip

I love veggie spring rolls, but have been unable to find a good sauce to go with them that wasn't loaded with sugar...so I decided to make my own.  It turned out amazing...the perfect amount of sweet and spice for me (who likes a lot) and my husband (who cannot handle much!) My hubby actually said this was one of his favorite dinners...YAY! I know the secret is the coconut peanut dip...so try it!

Coconut Peanut Dip

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1 T fresh lime juice

2 T raw honey

1/2 T Bragg liquid aminos

1 t minced garlic

1 t minced ginger

1/2 t crushed red pepper

Combine everything in a Vitamix and blend until smooth and creamy. Makes approximately 1 cup.

Veggie Spring Rolls 

Rice paper wrappers

veggies of choice...julienned or chopped

  You can get rice paper wrappers from any Asian market. I like the 8" size because they are easier to work with.  

Assemble your fillings...I used baby carrots, cabbage, red peppers, clover sprouts, cilantro, avocado, and lime wedges to squeeze over the veggies. (Other ideas...cucumber, alfalfa sprouts, spinach, lettuce, zucchini, green onion, fresh herbs, etc.)

Get a large bowl and fill it with warm water. Place the rice wrapper inside the water until soft and pliable, about 20 seconds.

Next place your fillings on the rice wrapper.  

Fold over the sides and bottom of the wrapper and then roll it up tightly.

You can cut them in half for a beautiful presentation or eat whole! 

DIP AWAY!!

Quinoa Zucchini Boats

With the abundance of fresh zucchini, I wanted to make a recipe to use it up! This turned out spectacular! 

Quinoa Zucchini Boats

1 1/2 cups water

3/4 c whole grain quinoa

1/8 t salt

1 can Italian tomatoes (S&W has no sugar added)

1 T pure maple syrup (grade B is the best)

1 t Italian seasoning

pinch salt and pepper

4 small zucchini

1 T extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 oz mushrooms, chopped

1 c spinach tightly packed, chopped

1/2 c zucchini "guts", chopped

1/2 c artichoke hearts, chopped

1/2 t Italian Seasoning

Boil water. Rinse quinoa and add to boiling water and salt. Cook for approximately 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make tomato sauce by adding tomatoes, maple syrup, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to a vitamix and mix well. Pour mixture into a large baking pan. Take zucchini and cut off ends and slice in half. Scoop seeds and "guts" of the zucchini out with a spoon and save in a bowl. Place zucchini over tomato sauce.

In sauce pan, saute onions and garlic in EVOO for a few minutes.  Add mushrooms, spinach, zucchini, artichoke hearts, and Italian seasoning. Combine cooked quinoa to mixture. 

Place mixture in zucchini boats. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes or until zucchini is tender.

Creamy Tomato Cashew Sauce

Creamy Tomato Sauce 

1 14 oz can Italian tomatoes

(use a brand with no sugar)

1/4 c raw cashews

1 small zucchini or 1/2 c spinach*

1 T pure maple syrup

1 t Italian seasoning

Mix everything in a Vitamix and blend until very creamy. Serve over warm brown rice, wheat or brown rice pasta, steamed veggies or raw zucchini noodles!  

(*Note: this is my children's new favorite sauce...I have found that putting either one small zucchini or 1/2 c spinach still leaves the sauce a pretty reddish orange color and they do not realize they are eating extra veggies in their sauce! I tried both veggies and it was too "green" for them! But I still loved it!!)

RAW Zucchini & Carrot Noodles With Spinach Pesto

I have been so busy trying new recipes that are RAW from my RAW foods class I went to with my sister at the LDS Holistic Living Conference last weekend! It was truly amazing and I came home very inspired and so excited to try some new things!  This was the first thing I made...it was amazing!!  I do not have a spirooli YET, so I had to make my zucchini noodles with a shredder! But I will include a picture of my sisters...she has a spiralizer and they look amazing!! I also added shredded carrots to mine because I thought it would be a pretty color and flavor...but that is not in the original recipe. Enjoy!

RAW Zucchini & Carrot Noodles With Pesto 

zucchini, made into spiralized noodles

I added shredded carrots

tomatoes, chopped for garnish

red bell peppers, chopped for garnish

pine nuts, handful for garnish

Spinach PESTO

1 cup EVOO

1/3 cup soft nut or seed (pine nut, almond, cashew, sunflower)

3 garlic cloves

1/2 cup fresh basil, oregano, parsley or 1T dry Italian seasoning

 (I used mostly fresh basil and some oregano)

1 cup organic baby spinach

1 t sea salt

Blend everything in Vitamix. Stores in fridge for two weeks. Put on top spiralized zucchini noodles garnished with tomatoes, red bell peppers, and pine nuts if desired.

This is what it would look like with zucchini spiralized noodles!

Here is a version with just the red bell peppers on top-

It is a very versatile recipe!!

Black Bean Tacos

Just made these for lunch! At first glance, it might look like a regular meat and cheese taco with lots of lettuce and pico!   BUT, it is a vegetarian taco with black beans and carrots!  They turned out super delicious, were SO SIMPLE and I am so ecstatic to say...my children gobbled them up!!

Black Bean Tacos

8 corn taco shells

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles

garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder

ground cumin, ground coriander, paprika

salt and pepper

carrot, finely shredded

fresh cilantro, chopped

pico de gallo or salsa

red leaf lettuce, chopped

fresh chives, chopped

In a pan, heat up beans and chiles.  Add seasonings to desired taste. It is as simple as that and you are ready to assemble your bean taco!!  Layer all in taco shell...bean mixture, shredded carrots, cilantro, pico/salsa, lettuce, and chives.

Veggie Egg Frittata

Frittata's are great for a fast meal or when you want to use up a bunch of leftover veggies!

Veggie Egg Frittata

EVOO

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 small zucchini, chopped

6 mushrooms, chopped

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup spinach, chopped

8 eggs

salt and pepper

Tuscan seasoning

1/4 cup feta

handful fresh basil, chopped

Heat oil and saute garlic for a few minutes. Add veggies and seasoning. Saute until tender. Add eggs and allow them to set in saute pan. Then move the saute pan to the oven under the broiler and bake until slightly browned. Sprinkle feta cheese and fresh basil over top and serve warm.

Turkey & Corn Tin Foil Dinners

With all the camping we have been doing, we are enjoying creating some fun and healthy tin foil dinners! Here is the latest concoction...

Turkey & Corn Tin Foil Dinners

ground turkey (optional - 1/4 lb for each person)
sweet potatoes, peeled & sliced
white potatoes, peeled & sliced

baby carrots, halved

garlic cloves, halved

green beans, trimmed

mushrooms, halved
zucchini, halved
onions, sliced
kernels from one cob of corn

EVOO

McCormick Tuscan seasoning
salt and pepper
To prepare, take 2 large pieces (approx 18") of tin foil and 1 large piece of wax paper. (I do not like my food to touch the aluminum foil.) Layer cooking spray, then ground turkey and then veggies of your choice. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with seasonings. Wrap foil around food to create a little package for the food to steam inside of.  When you are ready to cook, your fire should be burned down to coals, or the briquettes to white hot. Place the foil dinner on the coals. If you have enough briquettes, you can cut time in half by placing additional coals on top of the foil package as well.

Cooking time will vary depending on your coals, how big you make your tin foil dinner, and the size/type of the vegetables. Cook for about 20 minutes and then turn package over. Cook 20 minutes more. Remove from coals and carefully open to check to see if it is done. If not done, re-close, wrap another piece of foil around the package if needed and return it to the coals. Check again in another 10-15 minutes. When done, open and eat directly from the foil package.

"Healthy CAMPING" Tin Foil Dinners

We went camping over the weekend and of course I had to make veggie tin foil dinners! They are easy to throw together and they produce very little clean up. I made mine vegetarian, but added ground chicken to my husband and children's portions for a special treat! 

"Healthy CAMPING" Tin Foil Dinners

ground chicken (optional - 1/4 lb for each person)
sweet potatoes, peeled & sliced
onions, sliced

baby carrots, halved

garlic cloves, halved

green beans, trimmed

mushrooms, halved
zucchini, quartered

and/or any other veggies you have on hand!
EVOO

seasonings of choice

Build a fire or get some charcoal briquettes hot. For camping I wash, peel and cut everything before hand and put in baggies in the cooler. To prepare, take 2 large pieces (approx 12-18") of tin foil and one layer of parchment paper. Layer cooking spray and then meat and veggies of your choice. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with your favorite seasonings...I like the Kirkland "no salt seasoning", along with good ole salt and pepper. Wrap foil around food to create a little package for the food to steam inside of.  When you are ready to cook, your fire should be burned down to coals, or the briquettes to white hot. Place the foil dinner on the coals. If you have enough, place coals on top of the foil package also.

Cooking time will vary depending on your coals, how big you make your tin foil dinner, and the size/type of the vegetables. Cook for about 20 minutes and then turn package over. Cook 15 minutes more, remove from coals and carefully open to check to see if it is done. If not done, re-close, wrap another piece of foil around the package if needed and return it to the coals. Check again in another 10-15 minutes. When done, open and eat directly from the foil package. Super easy clean up and a delicious and healthy meal while camping! I never got a picture of the finished product, but it was visually stunning as well as delicious!

Bean & Veggie Burrito Bar

Our most favorite quick and easy meal is a burrito bar! There are so many variations you can make...this is what is pictured:

Wheat Tortilla

Romaine Lettuce

Fresh Cilantro

Smooth & Silky Pinto Beans

Avocados

Fresh Salsa

Wrap it up and serve! My children love this because they can make it anyway they want it!  It is always fun to create your one of a kind burrito!  We nearly always make some variation of this when we are entertaining guests as well!! There are MANY more things we add to our homemade burritos, depending on what is in our fridge and pantry...

Black Bean Salsa (recipe to come)

Brown Rice

Black Beans 

Corn

Tomatoes

Cucumbers

Mangoes

Radishes

Carrots
Sprouts
Jicama

Spinach

Tomato & Olive Sauce

1 T EVOO

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, diced

2 cans (15 oz) Italian diced tomatoes
4 T tomato paste

Real sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
1 can (15 ounce) black olives

2 T fresh oregano

2 T fresh basil

Use this sauce over wheat pasta, or for a gluten free option use brown rice pasta. Boil water and cook pasta according to directions on box.  Heat olive oil in sauce pan and saute garlic and onions until translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste and seasonings and let simmer for about 10 minutes.  Add olives and fresh herbs and heat through.

Veggie Tin Foil Dinners

 Veggie Tin Foil Dinners

potatoes, sliced

baby carrots, halved

garlic cloves, halved

green beans, trimmed

yellow squash, cut into strips

zucchini, cut in to strips

mushrooms, halved

cherry tomatoes

and/or any other veggies you have on hand!
EVOO

seasonings of choice 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Wash and trim all veggies.  Take a large piece (approx 12-18") of tin foil and layer with another large piece of wax paper on top.  

 

Layer the veggies of your choice and top with a drizzle of olive oil.  Sprinkle with seasonings...I like Italian seasoning, no salt seasoning, pepper and salt. Balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs are also good!
Fold the wax paper and roll in sides.  Then wrap foil around that to create a little package for the veggies to steam inside of.  Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until veggies are tender. The cooking time will depend on how big you built your tin foil dinner and also what you put in it! The harder veggies will take longer (like potatoes and carrots) while softer veggies cook more quickly (like the squash and tomatoes.) 

 You can open the package up and eat directly from it, or pile all the veggies on a plate!

Other veggies I have tried...sweet potatoes, corn, brussels sprouts, etc.  The sky is the limit! Create your own combinations of flavors and textures!!

"Clean Out The Fridge" Meal

One of my favorite meals as a child was... fresh Utah peaches, fresh tomatoes from our garden with salt and pepper, fresh corn on the cob, and fresh squash from our garden with melted cheese!  Talk about FRESH...except for the cheese! :)  It was the perfect Summer dinner!

I think simple meals can often be some of the best!  My family and I often have what I like to call a "clean out the fridge" meal! This basically consists of cutting up a couple different kinds of fruit, along with finding several different veggies to chop up and/or cook. (I like to have some cooked and some raw if possible.) 

"Clean out the fridge" meals are extremely easy to prepare and do not require any planning. You can use up whatever extra veggies and fruits you have on hand, and it is definitely healthy!! Here is an example of such a meal we had this week...strawberries, pineapple, corn on the cob, vegetable oven fries, and salad! It was simple, yet satisfying!

 

 

Spaghetti Squash Marinara

1 spaghetti squash
1 T EVOO
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, minced
 2 cans Italian diced tomatoes

1/2 T pure maple syrup
1 t Italian seasoning
 salt & pepper to taste
Handful fresh basil leaves, torn
balsamic vinegar & parmigiano reggiano cheese for garnish (optional)

For "spaghetti", cut spaghetti squash in half. Place on a piece of parchment paper over a baking sheet with the skin up. Roast for 45-60 minutes on 400 degrees. Take a fork and "shred" the noodles from the squash. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper. (You can also add extra virgin olive oil to it if desired.) 

For sauce, saute olive oil, garlic, and onion until translucent. Add tomatoes, maple syrup and seasoning to taste.  Let cook for about five minutes until flavors blend together. Before serving, toss in fresh torn basil leaves. If desired, add a little balsamic vinegar and/or parmigiano reggiano cheese on top!